MANILA – The management of Rain or Shine Elasto Painters is aiming to give Negrense James Yap a fitting PBA send-off after reports of him planning to return in the upcoming PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
According to Painters co-team owner Raymond Yu, the Escalante City, Negros Occidental native deserves a good farewell season after serving as one of the faces of the PBA for several seasons.
“James Yap deserves to be given a fitting tribute as an acknowledged star player of Rain or Shine and provide him the honor for his contributions not just to our team but also the previous squad he played for,” Yu told ABS-CBN News.
The Painters still hold the rights to the seven-time PBA champion, who took a leave during the election period when he ran for councilor under the ticket of San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora.
If Yap’s return will push through, he will be a great presence for the youth-laden Elasto Painters, which is led by Mike Nieto, Gian Mamuyac, Leonard Santillan, Anton Asistio and Andrei Caracut.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial has recently said that the two-time PBA MVP winner and now San Juan City councilor is plotting a return to the big league in the upcoming midseason conference.
“Kinamusta ko, sabi niya baka makapaglaro siya next conference. Magpapakundisyon na siya. Tinanong niya kung kailan magsisimula. Plano niya maglaro,” Marcial said in an interview.
The Negrense cager and the PBA commissioner had a brief chat when the league held its 2022 PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinals game at the newly-renovated FilOil EcoOil Center in San Juan City.
The former University of the East Red Warriors star last played in the PBA during the 2021 Philippine Cup in Bacolor, Pampanga where he averaged a career-low 7.9 points per game.
Yap, however, had a vintage game of 16 points in Game 2 of their quarterfinals series against former team Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, which happened also to be the last game so far of the Negrense cager in the league./PN
